New Delhi: Teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was Thursday named in the 15-member India A squad for the tri-nation 50-over series in Sri Lanka, starting June 9.
Apart from the hosts, the other team in the tournament is Afghanistan A. The matches will be played in Dambulla. India A will also play two multi-day (4-day) ‘Tests’ in Galle but the squad for that will be announced later.
It is understood that Sooryavanshi has been included as selectors wanted to give him a chance to check him out with the Pathways squad (India A) before he is picked for the senior team for the upcoming tour of the United Kingdom (Ireland and England) starting June 26. The tri-nation series ends June 21.
A look at the 15-member squad indicates that average age of the team is around 23 years. Only the pace bowlers Arshad Khan, Yudhvir Singh and Yash Thakur are the ones who are above 25 years of age. None of the players in the squad are above 30, and all have been performers in Vijay Hazare Trophy (National One Day Championship) apart from being contracted with IPL squad.
Apart from Tilak and vice-captain Riyan Parag, who are the mainstays for MI and Rajasthan Royals, respectively, Sooryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals), Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, Suryansh Shedge (both PBKS), Harsh Dubey (SRH), Nishant Sindhu, Arshad Khan (both GT), Badoni (LSG) have been first-team regulars at various points during this edition of IPL.
In the squad, Anshul Kamboj (Test), Riyan Parag and Tilak Varma (T20Is and ODIs) have already played for the senior team, while Ayush Badoni was picked in the Indian squad earlier this year, although he didn’t get a game.
Tilak has earlier led India A squad, while Arya had scored a hundred against Australia A last year.
The spinners include Dubey, Shedge, Vipraj Nigam while Prabhsimran and Kumar Kushagra are the two wicketkeepers.
India A will play Sri Lanka A (June 9 and 15) and Afghanistan A (June 11 and 17) twice, and the top two teams will meet in the final slated June 21.
India A squad for the tri-series: Tilak Varma (Captain), Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Riyan Parag (Vice-Captain), Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Harsh Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Kumar Kushagra (WK), Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Yudhvir Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Arshad Khan.
